Chengguan, or staff members of urban management departments, in Southwest China’s Chongqing municipality will take a less tough approach to tackle unlicensed street vendors, Chongqing Municipal Administration Commission said Thursday.

The urban management bureau of Hangzhou holds an auction of more than 2,600 confiscated goods in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province, Nov 9. The money from the auction will go into the treasury, the bureau said. [Photo/Xinhua]

Related readings: 11 chengguan hit by car at demolition site  Chengguan under fire for slapping old man  Here come the chengguan   Henan: Chengguan vow no violence

About 6,500 urban management officials will sign a letter of commitment with the municipal administrative commission Friday, promising to obey guidelines set for their conduct.

The rules ban power abuse, such as swearing, violence, and embezzling or damaging confiscated goods. Anyone who violates the rules will be punished or even expelled from the department.

In addition, the municipal administration commission has asked its urban management officials to videotape every case to prevent power abuse and provide evidence in case of lawsuits.

According to Tan Zuoping, a commission official, on average 1.6 law enforcers were injured at work every day in Chongqing in the first eight months of this year, and a video camera could help reduce that number.

The management officials will also ask its staff to “do a good thing” every day next year, such as helping senior citizens cross the street.

Chen Min, deputy director of the commission, said the quality of Chongqing’s urban management officials is improving, but they are suffering from the bad reputation left by their predecessors, and the “a good thing every day” is an effort to improve their image.